Pied Heron
Egretta picata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusEgretta (Small Egrets and Herons)
- SpeciesEgretta picata (Pied Heron)
About the Pied Heron
The pied heron (Egretta picata), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. The species was originally described by ornithologist John Gould in 1845. Recent taxonomists put this species in the genus Egretta. There are no recognised subspecies.
It is a small heron, 43–55 cm (17–22 in) long, with dark slaty wings, body, and crested head, with a white throat and neck. The appearance is similar to the white-necked heron. Males (247–280 g (8.7–9.9 oz)) are heavier than females (225–242 g (7.9–8.5 oz)), but the two are similar in appearance.
Immature birds lack the crest as well as the dark colouring on the head and may look like small versions of the white-necked heron. The juveniles were once classified as a separate species. Its habitat mainly comprises a range of wetlands and wet grasslands. The call of the pied heron is a loud 'awk' or 'ohrk' in flight. Soft cooing is given around the nest. Little else is known about vocalisations. Breeding takes place from February... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Pacific Reef Heron
Egretta sacra
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Great-billed Heron
Ardea sumatrana
Forest Bittern
Zonerodius heliosylus
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |